The history of Pachino began in 1760 when nobles founded the town on the site of an existing tower from 1494. During prehistoric times, people lived in the area's caves, and the promontory was formed over 70 million years ago. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans subsequently inhabited the region. In the 18th century, the Prince Starrabba decided to develop the area by gaining permission to found a new town, inviting settlers from Malta and elsewhere. Today, Pachino has 22,000 inhabitants and its economy relies on agriculture, especially the renowned cherry tomatoes of Pachino.

1. The history of Pachino
Pachino was founded in
1760 by the nobles
Starraba, princes of
Giardinelli and marquises
of Rudini, on the hill of the
feud of Scibini, where a
preexisting tower was built
in 1494.

2. During the Neolithic Period,
(between 8000 and 1500 BC),
a man went to live in the caves
(one of the best known of this
area is the Grotte Calafarina).
The promontory of Pachino was
formed during the Cretaceous (more
than 70 million years ago).
It seems that the Promontorium
Pachyni was inhabited from the
earliest prehistoric times, although
these attendances are not many
testimonials

3. In 750 BC, the ancient territory of Pachino
was inhabited by the Phoenicians, the
Punics, and the Greeks. In the Hellenistic
Period were built several temples, one
dedicated to Apollo Libystino. Still today
remain the ruins of a temple shrine in the
rural district Cugni

4. From 200 to 400 AD, to dominate the
area were the Romans were, which
made it a center of commercial
activity and colonization. With their
greatly developed agriculture, and
particularly the cultivation of grapes
and wheat.

5. After the Romans, the Byzantines came
(from 300 to 800), then the Arabs (800
to 1090) and, finally, the Normans.
The Arabs gave the name to the village
of Marzamemi, in which they built the
trap, remained in operation until the
1950s, introduced the cultivation of
citrus fruits, completed the aqueduct to
irrigate fields, etc...
The city’s decline began with the
Normans, the Aragonese and the
Angevins.
In this period the fortifications were
built such as Xibini and Fano towers
against piratical invasions of the
Turks

6. From 1583 to 1714, born in Sicily a hundred new
feudal lands. In this period results in a
substantial change in the geography of agro
Netino, with the foundation, in the coastal strip
between the traps of Marzamemi and Cape
Passero and ports of Portopalo and Marza,
Pachino and Portopalo.

7. The story of current Pachino begins in 1734 when
the Prince Starrabba of Piazza Armerina, owners of
estates Scibini and Bimmisca, decided to reside in
the territory to better care their interests and also
to acquire the title of Count. To this end, the
brothers Gaetano and Vincent Starrabba asked, in
1758, Charles III of Bourbon, and later, in 1760,
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies permission to found
a city (licentia populandi), so a decree was issued
to Naples, on July 21, 1760,
Prince Ferdinand I wanted to enact
the conditions of the Royal Decree.
So he invited the neighbors to
populate the new Town. People came
also from Malta, more than thirty
Maltese families accepted the
invitation.

8. • In Pachino there are 22,000
inhabitants and its most famous
fishing village is Marzamemi. The
city developed following a regular
grid model with a large square in
the center that occupies the
place of four blocks. A good
example of art in Pachino is the
church Chiesa Madre SS.
Crocifisso: built in 1790 by
Marchese Vincenzo Starrabba for
the Christian Community, it has a
simple structure comprising a
single aisle with a chapel on the
right of the apse, there are the
remains of Gaetano and Vincent
Starrabba. Others beautiful sights
are:
• - Palazzo Tasca, Torre Scibini,
Tonnara di Marzamemi, Grotte
Corrugi e Calafarina.

9. Pachino is a town that bases its economy
essentially on agriculture. Here we produce
high-quality wine, such as Nero d’Avola and
other wines. Basically most of the economy
is still tied to the production of fruit and
vegetables, which stand in the cherry
tomatoes of Pachino (IGP) exported around
the world.
Since 2000 Pachino hosts the ‘’Festival of cinema
of the Frontier’’, which takes place in the main
square of Marzamemi, with screenings of films
and short films from different parts of the word.
A local tradition in Pachino is ‘’L’Inverdurata’’ that
is a mosaic of vegetables put on a main road of
Pachino’s city centre, accompanied by the
performances of buskers and sportsmen. For all
these reasons Pachino is becoming the favourite
destination of tourist from all over the world.

10. Project eTwinning
direct: Alessandro Ruffino
created: Fronte Maria Chiara 3^D